


I hate yellow.

by Gina Callen (CALLEN37)



Category: NCIS: Los Angeles
Genre: Child Abuse, Gen, Rape Recovery, Sexual Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-02
Updated: 2015-04-18
Packaged: 2018-03-10 04:22:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3276563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CALLEN37/pseuds/Gina%20Callen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What happened to Callen when he was 9 years old and went to stay with Baxter and Gloria Worthington. Inspired by BH72's Altered fraction of the truth on FanFiction.net, her Characters are used with her permission. Warning Chapter 2 will have child abuse trigger warnings. Nothing Graphic but not for young readers. Link to BH72's story in chapter 1.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A/N s/10806492/1/ This is the link to BH72's Altered Fraction of the truth. The story which inspired this one and this story is dedicated to the wonderful writer herself.
> 
> The Characters Baxter and Gloria Worthington belong to her and are used with her kind permission.
> 
> (Yeah this is a fan fic of a fan fic.)
> 
> *****WARNING FOR CHILD ABUSE AND TRIGGER WARNINGS...Nothing Graphic, but disturbing nonetheless.*****

Callen lay under the bed hugging his sore ribs, he had been here four hours and the house he knew was not for him.

He had just left a nice home; so far, the people taking him in had been either nice, or indifferent. He had liked the last home a lot; he had made friends with a boy called Paul who had not laughed at the fact that his first name was only G.  They had been together for three weeks and had been inseparable, Paul had been the family’s son, they had included him as a member of their family, and just as Callen was letting his guard down and letting them in, the social worker had to move him.

The mother, Rachel had fought to keep G with them, but the worker was adamant, G needed to be moved as they had another child enter the system who needed to be placed with Rachel and her husband more. Rachel had spent the last weekend, taking G shopping for new clothes, buying him a stack of his favorite yellow t-shirts, which he loved, they reminded him of the beach and Rachel told him they had made his eyes pop. He did not know why at 9 years old his eyes needed to pop but every time he put a t-shirt on, he listened carefully to see if he could hear his eyes popping, he never could but Rachel swore she could hear it and that made him giggle.

He sat on the bed swinging his legs as Rachel packed his bag, “So you have three new yellow T-shirts, two blue ones and two pairs of jeans, socks underwear and sneakers.  You wait I’m sure your new family will care about you as much as we do, and maybe you’ll be able to hear your eyes pop all by themselves.” She grinned as he laughed.

“Can I come and play with Paul sometime?” he asked hopefully.

“Sure, you tell your social worker and we’ll arrange a play-date, just as soon as you are settled in.” She really hoped as she answered him that it would be true, although she presumed that they would insist on no contact, maybe he like some of the other children she had had through her doors would go onto be adopted or he would be placed back with his family, she never knew of the child’s home situation. She never asked, all she knew was that a child needed a place for a while and she was happy to help.

Callen nodded and bent down to tie his laces he stood up and grabbed his bag.

“Let’s get a look at you,” Rachel said brushing his hair quickly and pulling him into a hug, “You be good for your next foster parents and show them what I see in you.”

“What’s that Miss Rachel?” Callen asked.

“A good little boy who one day will be a credit to all who know him, you are a good boy Callen, don’t forget it, you will make someone a good son one day.”

Callen looked around him with a huge smile, he loved Rachel and her husband, it was sad that Ross had been deployed and was not around to say goodbye, but he loved the yellow t-shirts she had gotten him and he promised her he would do as she had asked.

He ran downstairs to play with Paul while he waited for his social worker to pick him up.

Rachel answered the door as Paul and G played in the backyard.

“Do you have to take him, he’s so happy here?” Rachel asked as Mrs. Holcombe the social worker put her bag down.

“I am sorry, it’s policy, and while your husband is deployed you can’t have a foster child.” She said her face tight; she had had a trying day and just wanted to get Callen settled before she could go on her holiday. “We have to go his new family is expecting him.”

“He’s asked if he can come back and play with Paul sometime, they have become firm friends, I would like them to continue being friends.” Rachel asked.

Sally Holcombe shook her head, “His new foster parents do not want him revisiting where he’s been, and it was hard to find anyone who would take him this close to the summer. We have to abide by their wishes you know the rule.”

Unfortunately Rachel did know the rule and she glanced out of the window watching Callen and Paul play, with a heavy heart she called them both in, “G…Paul…You need to come in now, G, your social worker is here.”

Callen’s shoulders slumped and he walked dragging his feet towards the house.

“Hi Mrs. Holcombe, I’ll get my bag.” He sighed, he shot Paul a sorry look as he really did not want to leave, but he knew there was no fighting it.  “Bye Miss Rachel, bye Paul.” He said softly as he turned to the door.

Rachel smiled sadly as he left, “Bye G, you be good now.” She waved and put on a bright smile as he walked to the car, waited as Sally opened the door and he climbed in.

Sally dropped her bag in the foot well to the side, “Callen stop squirming and sit still, we need to be going.” She said.

He knew that tone of voice and immediately sat facing the front, his eyes turning as far as they could to catch a last glimpse of Rachel and Paul.  Although in his gut, he knew he would never see them again and he could not stop the tear that snuck out of the corner of his eye as the car started and they drove away.

 

The pulled to a stop in front of an older apartment block, “Get your bag Callen.” Sally said as she climbed out of the car, he pulled his bag out after him and smoothed his blond hair down trying to look what Miss Rachel had called presentable and looked up at the large brown brick building.

“Don’t look like that Callen, these are good people and have opened up their home to you, just because it isn’t as fancy as your last home remember to be grateful.”

“Yes Ma’am.” Callen replied casting his hands down to the ground, he followed along pulling his bag along behind him.

After hefting the bag up three flights of stairs, he made it to the doorway at the end of a dingy hall.

He hurried to catch up with his social worker as she knocked on the door, “Mr. Baker?” she asked as the door opened and a large man stood there.

“Yeah, you CPS?” he asked.

Sally nodded with an exasperated smile, “Yes, thank you for taking him at such short notice, Callen come here.” She turned to him and he shuffled behind her looking at the large man at the door.

He moved and opened the door wider to let him in, “Hello!” A large woman came out of the kitchen area smiling and wiping her hands on her apron eyeing Callen up hungrily.

His eyes grew wide and he wondered with a start if she was going to eat him, like the witch in the Hansel and Gretel story that Rachel had read him and Paul last night.

“Small isn’t he?” The woman said, “Come here boy, my name is Carol, you can call me Mrs. Baker.”

Sally gave Callen a small shove in her direction and he tripped forward.

The man looked annoyed, “He isn’t gonna be any trouble, we had trouble with the last one’s folks, they tracked us down and kept bothering us.”

Sally shook her head, “No…G hasn’t got any family, just him…Now I have other appointments, if you would just sign the paperwork and then you can get him settled.”

Steve Baker picked up the file glanced at it and nodded curtly. “Ok, how long is he here?” he asked.

“I’m away for three weeks; I will contact you after that to see if you want to continue the placement.”

Steve smiled and Callen shivered. “He’ll be fine with us, won’t you….” He looked down the form for a name, “G? There seems to be a problem, we don’t have his name here.”

Sally shook her head, “G is all we have, I think his parents were hippies or something, but that’s it.”

Steve sent a glare Callen’s way but it was unnoticed by Sally in her hurry to get the paperwork in her bag,  “Thank you, now you have the emergency number if there are any problems?” she said to the couple.

Carol nodded, “On the fridge, we keep it just in case either we or the children need it.” She smiled and Sally nodded.

“That’s ok…Right then Callen?” he looked up at her as she smiled, “You be good for the Bakers, I will see you in three weeks…oh hang on I have to see his room.” She remembered.

Steve smiled, “Sure, it’s this one here.” He opened the door to a large blue room.

Callen blinked impassively, “Do you like it, I heard that blue was your favorite color.” Carol said.

Callen shook his head, “Yellow…” he whispered.

Steve looked angry but hid it, “Well don’t worry, we can repaint if you stay.”

Sally smiled, “That’s nice isn’t it G, what do you say.”

“Thank you Sir.” He said quietly.

“He’s just shy,” Carol said, “It’s ok G. you put your bag down and we will get you something to eat,” he moved to do as he was told and Steve turned to let Sally out as he did, Carols hand tightened on his shoulder.

“You will behave and I won’t have any backchat from you kid.” She hissed in his ear.

He shook and nodded instantly, he turned to look for Sally but she was gone.

“Let me show you to your room,” Steve said and he put his hand on Callen’s shoulder and guided him down the hallway.

Steve walked up to the room and shoved G all the way in, pulling his belt from his trousers, “I have ways to make kids like you behave, you should have told us you liked the blue, we spent a lot of money on this, you ungrateful brat.”

Callen started crying in fear as Carol laughed and closed the door on him and her husband.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNINGS IN THIS CHAPTER

Callen lay face down on the bed, his rear and back burning from where Steve Baker was hitting him with the belt.

"You will not be ungrateful do you hear me boy?" he snapped.

Callen couldn't talk but he nodded, sniffing his tears back, he had figured his stay here wasn't going to be nice, but he missed Rachel terribly.

"Answer me!" Steve snapped.

"S…Sor…Sorry…" Callen sobbed.

He hated this, but he knew the pain wouldn't last. He pushed his face into the duvet and bit down hard to keep from screaming, things always got worse if you screamed.

Suddenly it stopped, Callen panted as he tried to control his sobbing waiting for the man to leave him alone so he could show his emotions without being in trouble.

That didn't happen and from that day on Callen knew that when they left it was a good thing.

* * *

Steve got up and walked to Callen's door, reaching up for the lock high on the door and pulling the bolt across.

For a moment Callen thought he was alone, then the bed next to him dipped and Steve sat down gently taking Callen by the shoulders, "I am sorry you made me do that G, Carol worked hard on the room for you and you hurt her and me when you said you didn't like it." He said turning Callen gently and standing him in between his knees facing him.

Callen didn't look up, tears still running down his face as he sniffed to try to stop them.

"I'm sorry Mr. Baker, I like the room, but my favorite color is yellow." He said honestly.

Steve lifted his head and pulled the Callen to him wrapping his arms around him, "We won't tell Carol though, will we, we will let her think you like the blue, it will be our little secret, you can keep a secret can't you G." he said looking into the child's eyes.

Callen looked at Steve, he was scared of him, but he didn't want to get hit anymore so he nodded as he continued crying.

"Shhhh." Steve said pulling Callen to his chest and rubbing a hand up and down his back.

Callen was confused this wasn't like when he had hurt himself and Rachel had hugged him, he could feel the tension in the man, he tried to pull away but Steve held him tighter.

"You haven't finished paying for your mistake, remember this is all your fault, you were bad I punished you and now you are making me do this." Steve said his voice going very quiet.

"Do wha…." Callen started as Steve lifted his head and kissed him on the lips.

Callen shook his head, "No…." he pushed away and Steve looked at him.

"I can stop Callen, but if I do I will have to hit you with the belt again, and Carol will be mad too, it's up to you, what do you want me to do?"

Callen wanted to be left alone, anything but this, but the beating had been his fault. He had misbehaved, and he had seen the hurt in Carol's eyes, he had promised to behave and he was being punished so he must have broken that promise.

Steve stroked Callen's back and thighs, "Your choice Callen. Do you want to be a good boy?"

Callen nodded, "Yes Sir." Callen spoke those words not realizing as Steve's hand moved lower he had just sealed his doom.

* * *

By the end of the three weeks Callen was a wreck.

He couldn't sleep, if he closed his eyes Mr. Baker would come into his room, tell him he'd been bad and needed to make it right.

He didn't understand, he did everything he could think of to be well behaved and yet day after day, night after night he was punished.

He went to the bathroom while it was quiet and washed the blood from his body, he wasn't allowed to let Carol see he had been hurt ever, it was a rule.

Don't tell, don't cry, don't show where it hurt.

He picked up his blue t-shirt his eyes straying to the yellow one on the pile. He looked at it with hatred, he hated yellow, and yellow got him hurt. Steve had taken the yellow shirt and tied it around his face to stop him from screaming while he was being punished.

He never wanted to see yellow again and each time he was beaten he'd had to remember that his favorite color was blue.

* * *

Sally sighed as she walked up the stairs to the house, Carol had called her and told her that it wasn't working out and that she couldn't have Callen anymore. On the bright side she thought a Naval Captain and his wife had heard about Callen from somewhere and had asked to foster him specifically. Hopefully, he would be alright with this new couple.

She knocked on the door and Steve answered, "Ms Holcombe…I didn't expect you today?" he said with a forced politeness that she noticed.

She saw the scared look on Carols face and the small shake of her head.

"We have another placement for Callen, we need to move him today, is he in?" she asked brightly, making a mental note to check on this family as soon as Callen was moved and away from there.

"I'll get him." Steve said and left the room heading to Callen's room.

As soon as he had left Carol moved closer, "I'm sorry, I didn't know…not till yesterday…take the boy, keep him safe, I'm going to leave him." She whispered.

Sally didn't like the sound of that but knew it wouldn't be a good idea to say anything right now.

She just about held in an audible gasp as she saw Callen for the first time in 3 weeks. He was practically skin and bone, he didn't look like he had eaten, which in all honesty he hadn't. He gripped his bag tight and didn't look at Steve or Carol, but a fierce hope shone in his eyes.

"Do I have to leave?" he asked as he'd been told to do.

"Yes Callen, we already have a new placement for you." Sally said.

Callen blinked a few times, pushing back tears of joy that threatened to fall, "Ok…" he walked over to the door, Carol wrapped an arm around him and he flinched.

"I'm sorry." She whispered in his ear and he looked up at her shocked, she had known. He hadn't realized that she had known and could have stopped it. It reinforced what he had been told, it was his fault.

He nodded once and without a word followed Sally to the car.

* * *

As soon as they drove away Sally looked at the scared child in the mirror.

"What happened Callen?" Sally asked.

Callen shook his head and stared defiantly out of the window, he wasn't going to ever break the rules again.

Sally looked worried, but she carried on, "We actually have a nice family for you this time, a Captain in the Navy, Baxter Worthington and his wife Gloria, just up in Alameda, they have a nice house with a back yard, He's been looking forward to having you come stay, I told them about your favorite things, they have got a nice room ready for you. Do you want to stop for a burger before we get there?" she asked.

Callen shook his head, he had been sick the whole time he was at the Bakers and he didn't want to trust eating food in the car.

He worried about the new couple, especially the man, Baxter…so much like Baker…but he would never forget or talk about him again and he would die before he was ever placed with them again.

Sally pulled up in front of the two story house; the lawn was neatly cut and the flowers all blooming.

* * *

The Captain and his wife stood in the doorway waiting for them. They smiled as the car door opened and Sally got out.

Baxter grabbed his wife's arm as he saw the boy sat in the back seat.

She thought he was excited; he had been looking for him for so long.

They had talked for years about finding him and bringing him home and now here he was.

Callen got out of the car and stood with his back flush to the car door, he was shaking in fear but trying to hide it.

"My God Gloria, look at him." Baxter said the sadness at the boy's reaction to the sight of him worried him. Did he remember?

"G….come on." Sally said.

Callen followed a few steps behind her not making eye contact or saying a word.

"Hello…G?" Gloria said as she crouched down to be on his level.

Callen took a step away from her and said nothing.

"Callen?" Sally admonished

"Hello Ma'am." He whispered his throat sore.

Gloria smiled, "Gloria, you can call me Gloria."

"Yes Ma'am." Callen breathed still not looking at them.

Sally walked in with them, "Are you sure you want to do this, there may have been some developments since we last talked, his last placement didn't seem to go too well."

The Captain clenched his fists in anger a move that did not go unnoticed by Callen who moved further away and kept a tight grip on his bag. Baxter breathed deeply he didn't want to upset Callen, but he needed to talk to Sally that was certain.

"Let me show you to your room." Baxter said.

He placed his hand on Callen's shoulder and Callen dropped into a ball, covered his head with his arms and screamed.

 


	3. Chapter 3

Baxter watched horrified as Callen screamed.

Sally ran across the room and pulled him up by his shoulders, "Callen…what do you think you are doing?" she snapped.

Callen whimpered and pulled away from her, trying his hardest not to make a noise and shook.

Baxter put his hand on Sally's shoulder and he crouched down to talk to him.

"Callen, do you want to tell us what's wrong?" he asked gently.

Callen looked up, the fear in his small eyes looking desperately for escape. He shook his head frantically, "Can't tell…," he mumbled.

Baxter knew that something had happened to the boy and that he needed to relax to talk and that, his offering to take him to his room was a trigger.

"Honey do you want to show G his new room." He suggested.

Gloria bent down, "G…do you want to see your room?" she asked.

He looked up for a fraction of a second and nodded.

She held out her hand and walked to the room with him talking quietly all the time in a reassuring way.

* * *

Baxter suppressed the urge to yell at Sally, after all if he told her that he was Callen's biological father now, she would pull him away and he might lose him again in the system.

There was no proof he had to give her; his real name was not on the birth certificate. This was not what he had had in mind, he had hoped that George would move in, get to know him and his wife and eventually he would trust him enough to want to be adopted by him. But this…this terrified child was not what he was expecting.

"What the hell happened to him?" Baxter hissed hoping that Gloria wouldn't hear him.

Sally shrugged, "I don't know, I am putting his last foster family under investigation. I have been on vacation so I have no idea what happened…He just seemed a little off when I picked him up."

"Off?!" Baxter clenched his hands again. "Off is not the word I would use to describe what we just saw. That was terror. He's nine years old, he shouldn't be terrified of people, it's your job to keep him safe and allow him to have a childhood."

"I am not responsible for what happens to him when he's left with foster parents." She tried to maneuver out of it, "You have to understand, G is a challenging child."

"Why do you call him G?" Baxter asked trying to keep his temper. "Is that a nickname?"

"No…you have to understand, Callen was found outside an orphanage in Los Angeles when he was five years old, he didn't speak at all and the only thing he had was a bag with Callen, G. written on it, we looked for his family, no one came forward to claim him and our searches turned up nothing."

"He didn't tell you his name?" Baxter asked shocked.

Sally shook her head, "No…He didn't speak for nearly a year, the doctors said that it might be hysterical amnesia, he might have seen something that scared him so much he forgot his name, either way when he started talking, he didn't know what his name was and we never found out."

Baxter sat heavily on the couch, he had heard that George was with Clara on the beach when she was killed, he had hoped that he hadn't seen anything, but this blew that theory out of the water.

"So, did you arrange for Callen to see a doctor before you brought him here?" Baxter asked.

Sally shook her head, "He says he's fine, he doesn't like doctors and quite frankly I am not in the mood to fight the little brat just to find out he's been swatted a few times on the butt."

"Leave, I will get him the help he needs." Baxter snapped showing her the way out.

"I will pick him up on Monday, you know you are only having him on weekends, just until he settles with you or not….You have to understand Captain Worthington, Callen is a challenging child. I'm not sure why you volunteered to try to adopt him, but you need to know what you are getting, there are a lot more, better deserving, children who need a home who are less of a handful than he is."

"GET OUT!" Baxter yelled and slammed the door on the social worker, while trying to gather his temper in.

* * *

Callen's head snapped around as he heard the door slam and he pulled his arm out of Gloria's light hold and ran to the window watching as his social worker drove away.

He could not help it, tears started to run down his face, she had looked angry when she had left and she had not told him when she would be picking him up again. He placed both palms on the window in horror as she started the car up and drove off.

Why were these people different?

Did they not want him to go in a few days like the others, had that Baxter man hurt her like the Baker man had?

He stood in the corner of his new room, it was freshly painted, in a yellow color, it gave him the shivers, he did not like it at all, but he now knew better than to tell anyone he did not like it.

"G? Its ok son, do you like your room?" Gloria asked gently.

Callen nodded frantically his eyes growing wider with fear as he realized the whole room was various shades of yellow, the walls, the bedding and the flooring.

Gloria smiled, "We talked to your last foster carer, she told us that yellow was your favorite color." She said.

Callen clenched his bag tighter; they had talked to the Baker's? He went pale and shook.

"You look hungry; let's get you something to eat." Gloria offered.

Baxter opened the door to the room, one sight of him and Callen vomited on the small rug beside his bed.

Baxter smiled nervously; worried at the reaction his son was having to him. "G….it's ok to call you G isn't it?" he asked.

Callen nodded but never looked up his eyes staring horrified at the mess on the rug and the man in the doorway. Baxter took a step towards him and Callen ran.

He ducked under Baxter's legs and headed for the hallway. He had no idea where he was going, he had not had time to scout the area and create himself a bolthole all the doors looked the same and eventually he ran to the end of the hallway, curled himself into a ball, and covered his head.

Gloria looked at Baxter seeing the pain in her husband's eyes and she nodded at him, "Go…try and calm him down, we need to get him to wash up, I'll deal with this."

Baxter smiled gratefully at his wife, "Yeah thanks Honey, I wish I knew what they had done to him." He sighed as he reached for the door handle, "I just want my son back."

* * *

Callen shook as he heard the man's heavy footsteps in the hallway.

"G…it's ok son," Baxter said crouching down about a foot away from the crying child and waiting. "I'm not going to hurt you and you are not in trouble."

Callen wiped his eyes and looked up at him, and then he tried to talk.

He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He stopped and buried his head in his arms again. He remembered when he was younger and he could not talk, no matter how hard he tried nothing would come out, now it was happening again and he was worried that this man would punish him for not replying.

"It's ok if you don't want to talk now son, but we need to clean you up, come on." Baxter reached for him but Callen flinched away.

Baxter sighed but nodded, "Ok, the bathroom is this door behind you; there are clean towels in there. I have a clean outfit for you," he handed Callen his wash kit, a towel and a change of clothes. "I will wait out here for you and if you're up to it Gloria is making some soup, should be easier for you to keep down, if you are feeling bad later you can rest up." He stepped back, let Callen move carefully past him and he backed into the bathroom. Baxter listened as the door locked and he could hear the boy sobbing behind the door.

 


	4. Chapter 4

Callen stripped off his soiled clothes checking, as he removed his T-shirt and underwear, again that the door was still locked, he stood under the shower and washed all the sick and stains he could see from him.

At least he tried.

He took the wash cloth he was given and tried to wash the feel of Baker from his skin, he scrubbed as hard as he could until his skin was raw, the water was cold as he knew that using the hot water in a house was a fast way to getting into trouble.

He saw the dried blood from that morning, slowly running in circle's down the shower. His imagination seeing more than just the few streaks of blood, he saw blood and filth and crouched down sobbing hearing all the vile things that Steve Baker had said to him during his stay.

He needed to get himself together; he needed to be able to do whatever this family required of him. Usually he knew how long he had with them or how long he had to tough it out, right now he had nothing and he was afraid.

He knew as soon as he opened that door, that his calm would be gone, they would be mad at him for vomiting on their rug and for causing trouble already.

* * *

He climbed out of the shower not feeling clean by a long shot, but knowing that any longer would get him into trouble he quickly dried and dressed his blue t-shirt and jeans making him feel slightly more comfortable. He rinsed out his dirty clothes, not knowing if he would be allowed to wash them. He used the soap on the side of the sink to clean off as much as he could, then he wringed them out and bundled them under the towel he had been given, hopefully he wouldn't be caught and he would be able to sneak them outside to dry in the sun.

He slipped his sneakers back on without socks, but he only had the one pair he would wear now and he opened the door quietly.

The hallway was empty and he looked both ways before taking a few tentative steps out into the hall.

* * *

Baxter could see him from his spot in the chair in the lounge room. He opened his mouth to say something and then thought better of it. He figured it would be better if he just watched what his son did.

The house was empty as Gloria had gone to the shops to pick up some saltines and ginger ale to help settle her stepson's stomach and Baxter hoped he would be able to see what had happened to the boy.

Callen did not see anyone, but he did spot the open screen door at the back and he snuck towards it.

For a moment, Baxter's heart jumped into his throat, was he going to run away?

Callen quietly closed the door and then snuck around the side of the house away from any windows.

Baxter moved to where he could not be seen and watched as his son set about his tasks.

He threw his jeans and t-shirt on a lawn chair and proceeded to carefully, hang the Worthington's towel on the line using a couple of clothes pegs that Gloria had forgotten to take down. Making sure it was hung correctly; he turned his attention to his other task.

He took a large stick, ignoring the shovel that was leaning against the house and started to dig a hole.

Five minutes later, he took his soiled underwear and socks and buried them patting the ground down so that no one could see the earth had been disturbed, and then he wiped his hands on his jeans. Not realizing that he was transferring the mud from the hole onto his trousers, then he got as far inside the bush, he was standing near and he stripped the leaves from two branches and hung his clothes on them.

Baxter cleared his throat and Callen jumped.

"That's a good job of hanging your laundry up there son, but maybe it would dry better if we hung it on the line."

Callen sent a guilty glance towards the hole he had dug, but Baxter made no mention of it, instead he took the clothes off the bush and hung them next to the towel on the line, making a mental note to make sure they were washed and properly dried later while Callen was asleep.

* * *

G moved out of arm's reach as Baxter took the clothes and hung them up. He sent another look to the hole he had dug and watched the man intently to see if he had noticed the ground being disturbed.

"Gloria should be back in a second, she went to the store to get you some things to help your stomach," he said.

At the realization that he was alone in the house with Baxter, Callen moved further away from him.

Baxter smiled, "It's ok, I need to help with the vegetables or Gloria will get mad, you can play out here till she gets home if you want."

Callen nodded and Baxter walked inside to the kitchen and grabbed the phone off the wall while still keeping an eye on the boy who was sat in the middle of the yard his knees pulled up to his chest staring at the house fearfully.

* * *

"Tom?" Baxter asked, as the call was answered the other end, "It's Baxter Worthington, I have a favor to ask."

Tom Morrow stretched at his desk at NIS offices in San Diego, "What's up Bax. Are you fighting with Gloria again?" he asked.

Baxter gave a small laugh, "Like I'd ever do anything to annoy your sister, no…are you on a major case at the moment?" he asked.

Tom shook his head and then realized he was on the phone, "Nope, the boss has us on cold cases; he's gone to Washington, something about kicking his probie's butt."

"I need your help." Baxter said as he watched his son rock gently trying to comfort himself. "Gloria and I have taken in this foster kid, I'm worried he's been sexually assaulted. I read on one of the morning briefs, that you guys have access to this new DNA stuff, is it any good?" he asked.

Tom sat up listening intently.

"We got a DNA sample thingy out here a week ago, our lab techs are going crazy over it, but wouldn't the police be a better bet?"

"I can't go to them, the social worker seemed to want to ignore it….and if it's true I kinda wanna handle it old school, you know what I mean?" Baxter said.

"Yeah…but Bax, you could put your own career down the pan for one foster kid. Is it worth it?"

"Yes." Baxter replied to Tom his tone leaving no room for argument.

"We can take the case on, as Senior Field Agent; I can do that while Jack's away. Will he talk to me?" Tom asked.

"No, he's not said a word since his social worker left, but I have some evidence, he buried his underwear in the backyard."

"God, poor kid." Tom sighed, "I'll head on over."

"Can you wait till about nine, I wanna get him settled and into bed, he doesn't need to know about this, Tom. You need to call in every favor you have to keep this under the radar."

"Will do Bax…you think you and Gloria will adopt this kid?" Tom asked.

"I love him as if he were my own." Baxter said.

"Ok, I got it, family business, see you later then." Tom said and put the phone down, if it turned out this kid had been assaulted God help the person that did it, because Baxter would not be alone getting retribution for him.

Baxter watched, as Callen did not move from the spot he had picked and he knew it was because he was watching for Gloria's car to come home.

"I am sorry Clara," he sighed as he reached for the peeler to do the vegetables that he had promised to peel. "I had no idea this would happen to our boy."

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N ok so time for a huge freaking trigger warning...This chapter deals with the 1979 version of child male rape evaluation or examination and medical procedures, although not in depth and nothing graphic, it may trigger some, so please if you think it will upset you don't read it. Also please remember that this is based late 1979 and hospital practices have come a hell of a long way now.

Having finally entered the house when Gloria got home, eaten a pot roast that she had made. Well, he had picked at it and eaten enough not to be considered greedy, they had finally convinced him to go to bed.

He had brushed his teeth and got changed in the dark in the room they'd told him to stay in. he didn't want to see all the yellow, the nightmares he didn't need.

He winced as he stubbed his toe on a chair he'd forgotten about in the dark, he wiped a small tear from his face as he climbed into the bed and pulled the blanket over his head as he heard footsteps walking down the hall.

Baxter opened the door and stuck his head in, he noticed the room was pitch black and he saw from the light shining through the window, Callen grab the blanket and duck down under the bed. Even in the dim light he could see that his boy was shaking.

"Khorosho spat' moy syn," [sleep well my son] he whispered quietly as he closed the door.

He turned and saw Gloria watching him, "He's pretending to be asleep, he's had a hard day we will leave him for now." He told her.

She nodded in agreement, "I'll put some coffee on, Tom called and said he was coming round later." She smiled and walked into the kitchen.

Baxter got a clear bag from beside the chair and looked at the underwear inside. The small telltale flecks of blood already telling him something his gut didn't want to know. His son had been assaulted.

* * *

He looked up at Tom's car headlights shined through the window to the main room, he sighed and went to the door before Tom rang the doorbell.

"Hey Tom," Baxter said as his brother in law walked up the path.

"Bax, how much does Gloria know?" Tom asked.

Baxter shook his head, "I haven't told her, not about my suspicions, if she fusses over him right now he'll know he's a smart boy." he said the pride in his son shining through.

"You really do care about this kid!" Tom exclaimed surprised.

"We want to adopt him, if he'll settle with us," Baxter admitted as he let Tom into the house.

Tom walked into the kitchen where Gloria was just setting the coffee pot on the table, Tom kissed his sister on the cheek, "Hi Gloria, I hear you have a new member of the family?"

Gloria smiled, at that point Tom knew this kid had to be something special, he had sat with his sister when Baxter had been away at sea, and she had lost the twins she had been carrying. Both Gloria and Baxter had been devastated, Baxter had been especially distraught as it was then he had revealed the existence of his two children whom he had lost touch with following the death of his first wife. Gloria although reeling from her own loss offered to help him find his children in anyway she could.

Tom took a cup of coffee and walked over to Baxter, "You have the evidence for me?" He asked.

Baxter nodded, "Yeah, I can see that he's been assaulted, I just want proof that his last foster father was responsible for that,"

"Did you take the kid to the hospital, he might had internal injuries?" Tom asked worried.

Baxter shook his head, "I'm going to have to though aren't I, I just didn't want to be the cause of anymore pain to the boy."

"It's not like you are trying to hurt him, but he'll need a rape kit run and any internal injuries will need sorting out before they get infected, you said he wasn't a little kid, he'll know you mean well." Tom said.

"Will he though?" Baxter asked his heart breaking, "He doesn't trust at all."

Tom looked at Baxter, "You said you wanted to adopt him, if he were your son and got injured would you hesitate to take him to get medical attention?"

Baxter shook his head "No...You're right, I wouldn't, I'm going to have to wake him and take him to the ER." he sighed as Gloria wiped her eyes having heard how much Callen had been injured.

"I'll go and wake him," Gloria said with a sigh.

* * *

She stood up and walked to the room and knocked quietly on the door.

She opened it and was surprised to find the bed empty.

"Callen?" she called quietly, wondering if he had gone to the bathroom, then she heard it… a small whimper, coming from the closet.

She opened the door a crack to find the boy curled up in the closet asleep, holding his bag to his chest like a lifeline.

"No...I won't tell...promise...hate yellow...I hate yellow...please...please no...no…" Callen sobbed in his sleep.

A tear crept down Gloria's face as she heard the child's night terrors and realized that the room they had put him in was yellow, a part of his fear.

She crouched down and touched his arm, "Callen?" she whispered.

His reaction was instantaneous he leapt away from her touch and scrambled into the farthest corner he could. "NO!" He screamed his mouth continuing to mouth the word no but no sound was coming out, his eyes were sightless and wide and he was pressed back as far as he could go.

"Bax! Tom!" Gloria yelled scared at the boy's reaction.

Both men ran down the hallway.

"Gloria?" Baxter called as he entered the room, it took him a moment to realize that she was on the floor by the closet rather than getting Callen up like he'd expected.

Tom moved to the closet and put his hand on his sister's shoulder.

"Let me." he said quietly.

He crouched down as Gloria went across the room and clung to her husband, "He's still asleep, and he's terrified." she whispered.

"Callen...Callen, can you hear me...I need you to wake up now." Tom's voice calmly cut through the terror that was clawing at his mind.

"Huh?" Callen shook his head, the hands the pain and the voices in his mind all slowly dissipating.

"My name's Tom Morrow, I'm a federal agent, I'm here to help you." He said quietly, "I need you to help me though, do you think you can?"

Callen rubbed his eyes and looked confused at the man with the funny accent in his closet.

"You need my help?" He asked not moving an inch.

"Someone hurt you G, someone bad...I'm like a policeman. I want to make sure that the person that hurt you goes to jail." Tom looked the child straight in the eye so he could see that he was telling the truth.

Callen shifted holding his bag in front of him like a shield. "You can't make him go to jail, Please...I don't wanna go to jail…" he sniffed and wiped his nose with his sleeve.

"Why would you go to jail?" Tom asked shooting a confused looked back at his sister and brother-in-law.

"Be...Because, it's my fault...I made him…." Callen mumbled his voice low.

Tom's head shot back, "Callen, it's not your fault, you need to know whatever happened to you, it's not your fault but we do need you to talk to someone. Will you come out G?" he asked.

Callen nodded, he didn't want to move, but he didn't want the policeman to get angry at him either.

* * *

He held his bag tighter, it was the only thing he owned and it was his. He wasn't about to lose it.

"Are you gonna...arrest me now?" he asked.

Tom shook his head, "No son, we are going to get you help, but you need to come with me."

In Callen's mind it was obvious, these people had found out what he had let his last foster father do to him and they had told the police. He didn't know what was going to happen next, but he knew whatever it was he deserved it, it was his fault. The man looked upset and the woman was crying. He hated that they were so mad with him, he had liked the woman, she had been kind to him. He understood though, he was damaged goods and they didn't want a broken child like him. He walked over to his shoes and pulled them on not looking the people in the eye again.

"Ok...I'm ready to go now." He said his voice flat and devoid of emotion.

All three adults looked at each other worried, they didn't like this turn of developments, but Callen needed to get medical attention.

Tom headed to his car expecting Callen to go with Baxter and Gloria in their car. He was surprised as he turned to see Callen standing by the door to his own car holding his bag and waiting.

"You're coming with me?" he asked, "I thought you would want to go with the Worthingtons."

Callen shrugged, "If you want me to." he said and turned not really knowing what to do.

Tom smiled, "Get in kid, I'll drive and they can follow."

Callen winced as he climbed in the car, fueling Tom's suspicion that he needed to see a doctor.

They pulled up at the hospital, Tom waiting as Baxter and Gloria parked up and walked over to the car. The whole ride Callen's grip on his bag hadn't eased and he hadn't looked out of the window at all.

"Callen?" Tom said as he turned the engine off, "We're here, you need to get out of the car now."

Callen looked up at the brightly lit building, so they had brought him to a hospital, he didn't mind that so much, he had regular check ups, usually involving his weight and height, sometimes they took blood although they never told him why and by now he didn't care, it never hurt long. He got out of the car and stood waiting to be told where to go.

* * *

"Come on Callen." Gloria put a hand on Callen's arm and gently guided him into the building.

Tom and Baxter walked ahead of the pair to find a nurse and explain the sensitive nature of their visit.

Gloria watched as Callen tensed up at the late night visitors in the emergency room. A man swayed across the waiting room and looked at him. "Hello sonny…." He slurred reaching out to touch his head.

Callen ducked, not realising that he had instinctively grabbed Gloria's hand and moved closer to her.

"Come on Callen, we'll go over here ok?" she looked at a the corner of the room that had a few toys stashed in a box.

Callen moved and stood in the corner of the room with his back to the wall, if anyone came near him he wanted to be prepared.

"G. Callen!" A woman's voice called and he looked up.

The nurse walked over to them, "Would you like to follow me please." she said to Gloria.

She stood and Callen started to follow.

"You can leave your bag with Baxter if you want…" Gloria said.

Callen shook his head, "It's mine." He said softly.

Tom shot Bax a look as the boy walked off with Gloria.

"Are you sure you wanna adopt  _this_  kid?" he asked again, "We need to see if there is anything in that bag. he may have evidence we need in there."

Baxter shook his head, "I think it's just his stuff, but maybe he'll let us look later...and yes...I want to adopt this kid."

Tom shrugged, wasn't really any of his business, but he hoped his brother-in-law and sister knew what they were doing.

Callen stopped as he walked into the examination room and saw the people in white masks and gloves.

"Hop on the table son, we'll get this done as painlessly as possible." A man behind a mask said.

This didn't normally happen, what was this?

"You'll have to wait outside ma'am, we'll get you when we've finished." The nurse said to Gloria.

She nodded, "I'll be just down the hall okay?" she smiled sadly and walked outside.

"OK son." The tall man in white said as the nurse reached over and took Callen's bag, "Lets get all you clothes off into that bag and then you need to lay face down on the table."

Shaking violently Callen did as he was told, after all this was a hospital and hospitals were good, right?

A nurse passing outside jumped as a child's blood curdling scream echoed down the corridor.

Callen lay tied to the table to stop him moving as the doctors performed their tasks with detached punctuality. Tears flowed down his face, however he never uttered a sound after that first scream and the doctor telling him to be quiet. From that moment on, he hated everything about hospitals and vowed never ever to voluntarily set foot in one again.

 


	6. Chapter 6

Baxter ran down the hallway and was stopped by a burley orderly.

"I'm sorry, Sir. You can't go in there," he said placing his hand on the man's arm.

"The hell I can't…!" Baxter tried to move him aside.

The orderly yelled for security and two large men down to help him.

"That's my boy in there!" Baxter finally got out.

The men backed off as Baxter adjusted his clothes and headed to the door.

"Sorry, we were told to guard the door," the orderly apologized.

As Baxter opened the door he looked in horror at the sight in front of him.

Callen was crouched in the corner, curled in a ball and naked. His clothes were sitting on a gurney in a paper bag and the gown they had put on Callen was strewn on the floor in his quest for freedom.

The doctor sealed up the bag and looked at the man in the doorway.

"Are you here for the evidence?" he asked not even looking in Callen's direction.

"What happened?" Baxter asked, curling his fist in rage behind his back.

"I got the evidence for you. The boy isn't badly injured, just a few lacerations. We gave him a few stitches but he'll be fine." The doctor looked over at Callen who was staring at his hands which were clasped around his knees so tightly his knuckles had turned white.

"G?" Baxter said softly, as he moved across the room to the boy.

Callen whimpered and tried to move further into the corner.

"This boy needs some clothes on. Why are you letting him sit like that?" Baxter growled.

"He won't behave. We told him to be still, but he squirmed when we tried to get the gown on him. We told him to lay on his front and he bit a nurse and then we told him to be quiet….which now he has. We have other patients in this hospital, we don't have time to pander to a spoiled child."

"Sp...Spoiled child?!" Baxter looked at the man like he was crazy. "You do know that you just ran a rape kit on this 'spoiled' child."

"Waste of money if you ask me, these things are new and he's a foster kid. He's probably making it up for attention." The doctor sighed.

Baxter wanted to scream at the doctor, maybe punch him….grab his son and get him out of there. But he needed to make sure that Tom got that kit and there was no problem. So he held his tongue.

"I doubt anyone would make something like that up," he argued politely.

"Mr Callen and I have met before," the doctor told him. "Many many times. He's had broken bones and blamed it on the good folks who have opened their homes to him. Cuts...bruises, self inflicted burns, blaming everyone but himself. All have been investigated and all have been his fault."

Callen shot the doctor a look of pure hatred, but still said nothing. Baxter caught the look though.

"I'm sure he really did do these all to himself, but what if he hadn't?"

Callen never realized what Baxter was doing, he looked at him with disappointment, he had hoped…. Well he didn't know what he had hoped, he had liked Gloria and Baxter, they had been kind to him so far, he had hoped that if they were different, then he could have stayed.

He should have known better. No one cared, no one was different. They said they were, all of them...promised him safety, love, friendship, a home...but each of them would let him down. He really needed to stop hoping.

He shook his head at the two adults and slowly and painfully, pulled his clothes on, not taking his eye off either man. Tears he couldn't hold in, rolled down his face.

Baxter turned to him.

"G, would you like a hand?" he asked.

Callen took a step back, shook his head once and carried on.

Baxter was just as bad as the policeman guy. They had promised to help him, but had taken him here and he had been hurt again.

It was time he looked out for himself. Stopped hoping he would have a family and start to be self-sufficient.

Tom Morrow knocked on the door and walked in just as Callen was pulling on his sneakers.

"I'm here for the kit," he said looking over at a really angry Baxter and a very quiet boy, whose eyes were lingering on Baxter like he was getting ready to flee at one wrong move. "What's happened here?" he asked.

Baxter moved so Callen was behind him, "I'll tell you later Tom, you wanna take that kit in and I'll take Callen home. You can come by in the morning and we can go over it."

"It's already morning Bax, the sun came up an hour ago. But you take the boy home, he'll need some rest and I'll be over as soon as I can. Tell Gloria to put some eggs and bacon on for me."

Baxter nodded and headed for the door, "Come on Callen, we're leaving," he snapped glaring at the doctor.

Callen scrambled to his feet and followed Baxter, making sure he kept just out of arm's reach.

Gloria stood up as Baxter stormed out into the waiting room, with Callen in tow.

"Bax?" she asked, looking at the anger of Baxter's face, "Is everything ok?"

Baxter tried to make his face neutral as he turned to Callen and handed him his keys. "Do you want to go and unlock the car for me?" he asked.

Callen took the keys and practically bolted for the car.

"Baxter! What on earth is wrong?" Gloria asked.

"They….this….!" Baxter sat on the chair and put his head in his hands. "This is a hospital, they were supposed to heal him, but they hurt him...his doctor...he's a monster. He has treated Callen in the past, but he thinks this is all his fault….he's just a child. None of this is his fault, but they treated him like a criminal...my God...Gloria...they made him scream!" Baxter wiped his eyes as tears that he couldn't hold back fell. "They hurt him again!"

"What did Callen say?" Gloria asked.

"Nothing, not a word. He just got dressed and followed me out." Baxter sighed. "He wouldn't even talk to me."

Gloria grabbed her bag. "Lets get him home. Maybe after he's rested he'll talk to us."

Baxter stood up and wiped his hand down his face in despair.

"I hope so. God, I hope so," he sighed.

 


	7. Chapter 7

Callen ran to the parking lot as fast as he could. Looking down at his hands he saw the keys he had been entrusted with. He had been trusted, knowing that he could really do what he was thinking of doing?

The hospital loomed behind him like a spectre, going back was an option, but could he do that, cope with that pain? They had all hurt him, everyone, either directly or indirectly.

The keys felt heavy in his hands.

This wasn't stealing, it was escape...a chance of freedom.

Shooting a look of...regret? Maybe a bit of regret, Gloria had been nice to him after all. He climbed into the drivers seat and started the car.

He had to take a second and pull the seat forward as far as he could so he could see out of the window and then he put the car in drive.

He winced as he drove over the kerbstone, hitting the edge of the road as he turned the wheel and hopefully the car in the direction of the exit, and hit the gas.

Looking in the rear view mirror as the hospital receded in the distance, Callen let his mind wander a bit, this driving wasn't so hard. All he had to do was keep the car pointed in the right direction, maybe he could get far away where no one would find him.

It was quiet, being early there wasn't much traffic on the road, the sun was beginning to rise over the city in the distance and he could smell water, the ocean in front of him through the open window.

The beach came into view and he pulled the car over just leaving it haphazardly on the side of the road.

Leaving the keys in the visor, he grabbed his bag from the back and ran from the car before anyone saw him, looking for the early morning crowd on the boardwalk to blend in with.

* * *

Tom headed into the office with the DNA in his passenger seat. He figured out that if he got it there early maybe the lab techs could run it before that morning's work came in.

The drive to San Diego was quiet, with not that many cars on the freeway, this was good. He could drop off his package and get to Baxter's home before his brother in law ate all of Gloria's pancakes. He was looking forward to properly meeting the boy that his sister wanted to call her own.

He jogged into the lab and handed the sample over to Ted, the lab technician.

"What's this?" Ted asked as he looked at the evidence bag, "There's no case number on it."

"It's not a case….not yet, my….the kid that might become my nephew, we think he was assaulted, need to know before we send the cops into his old foster family."

Ted looked angry, and Tom knew he would help. Ted himself had been through the system and he had been adopted by a nice family.

"I'll do this on my lunchbreak, this one's on me, Tom." Ted told him.

Tom nodded, "Thanks this kids been through a lot, I'm hoping he agrees to being adopted by my sister and brother in law….poor kid's been in the system so long he doesn't even have a first name. I really hope this works out. He's a good kid," he said, more to himself than to Ted. However Ted nodded and made a space for the kit to be run by him only.

"I'll call you with the results," he promised, as Tom turned to leave.

Climbing back into his car he drove back to Los Angeles and the promise of breakfast. Half an hour into his drive he saw a familiar car, with two police cruisers either side and he pulled over.

Pulling his badge, he walked over to the officers searching through the car.

"Can we help you?" The larger of the two police officers asked, standing toe to toe with him.

"Tom Morrow, NIS. This is my brother-in-law's car, is there a problem?" He asked.

"We found this car, unlocked...keys inside abandoned at the side of the road, is there any chance that your brother-in-law has been drinking?"

"No...I left them a few hours ago, they were at the hospital with their foster son, he had been injured and needed some treatment. Has anyone been to see if they are still there or checked out the house?" He asked.

"We have a unit on the way," the officer informed him.

"Ok." Tom turned and headed back to his car, Baxter wasn't the type to leave his car like this, he needed to see if his sister and brother-in-law were ok.

* * *

Baxter walked out of the hospital with Gloria on his arm, to be honest he welcomed her calming presence and he felt his anger at the way his son had been treated, leaving him a lot calmer. He had wanted Callen to go to the car while he got control of his emotions, he knew he hadn't done a great job so far, but he wanted Callen to know that he didn't blame him. He hoped that he would understand that the pain the hospital put him through hadn't been allowed by him and that he cared...really cared for him.

A tug on his arm pulled him out of his musing.

"Baxter. Where's the car?" Gloria asked.

"Over there with…." Baxter trailed off as he realized that his car and his son were missing.

"We need to call the police, someone must have stolen the car and kidnapped Callen." Baxter said.

Gloria looked at him, "What if Callen stole the car?" She asked.

Baxter shook his head, "He wouldn't do that." He knew down to his very soul that his son was good and there was no way he would steal a car. He was after all his and Clara's son.

"You don't know that, Bax." Gloria said soothingly, "Let's call a cab, we'll go home...call the police and be in the right place just in case you are right."

Baxter nodded and stood staring at the empty spot where his car had been.

Walking in the door Baxter called out for Callen in the vain hope that he was home.

"Callen….Callen?...G!" He called running from one room to the other.

There was nothing. Gloria put her bag, and Callen's bag which Baxter had handed her from the examination room, down on the kitchen table.

"He's not here, Bax," she sighed sadly.

He walked over to the phone on the kitchen wall and dialled 911.

"I want to report a missing child and a stolen car," he said his heart sinking.

* * *

Tom pulled up outside Baxter's house at the same time that the police cruiser did.

"Mr. Worthington?" The officer asked as he alighted from the car.

"No...Tom Morrow, NIS." He said, showing his gun as he had noticed the officer looking at the gun on his hip and had moved his own hand in readiness accordingly.

The officer relaxed as he looked over the other man's credentials.

"What's NIS doing here?" He asked.

"Well, it's unofficial, Captain Worthington is family, his wife is my sister. I just saw his car on the PCH you have a team there. I just wondered if there had been any reports from here?" He asked.

The man nodded, "We had a call about twenty minutes ago, Baxter Worthington reported a missing child and a missing car," he said. "I was just about to go in and take a report." He added not sure if this Agent was going to snake the jurisdiction out from under him.

"After you," Tom said motioning towards the door.

* * *

Gloria opened the door and relaxed at the sight of her brother and the officer standing here.

"Thank God, please tell me you've found him?" she asked, the worry evident in her voice.

"The police found the car, I saw it as I was driving back from San Diego, but there's no sign of Callen."

The officer looked up at that.

"G. Callen? That's the missing kid?!" he asked.

"Yes, why?" Gloria asked.

"Well...had we known we wouldn't have been so fast." The officer sighed.

Baxter from his seat in the corner of the room stood up.

"And just why is that officer, is our foster child not as important as any other child."

"How long has he been with you?" The officer asked.

"Two days….Why?" Gloria asked.

The officer nodded, "You must be a good home then. I'm sorry G. Callen is a challenging child, he is known to us as a serial runaway...Are you certain he didn't steal your car?" The officer asked.

"Has he stolen a car before?" Baxter questioned the man.

"Well, no...but I wouldn't put it past him and I bet it won't be his last either," he sighed. "I'll go call it in and have Callen's usual haunts checked. I'll patch a call through to his social worker too."

He turned to go but stopped as he saw the bag on the table.

"Don't worry….he'll be back at some point. He may not stay but he will be back, you have his bag," he nodded towards the item on the table. "He won't leave that behind."

"How do you know, he's just a child!" Gloria exclaimed in horror at their apparent lack of sympathy.

"With all due respect Ma'am, that boy has never been a child...some of us aren't even certain he's fully human," the officer replied and opened the door.

"Honestly, I would give it twenty four hours, if he isn't back by then I'll be surprised. I will have a black and white come by every twenty minutes, someone will spot him, most of the force here know him by sight."

He walked out to the car as Gloria turned back in horror at her husband.

"He...he isn't...he isn't a bad kid, he's what I made him." Baxter sighed, his head in his hands. "I failed him."

Tom turned to his brother-in-law, "You've had that child less than forty eight hours, you are not responsible for the life he's led."

Baxter stood up, "I'm going to look for him," he declared.

Gloria nodded knowing what was going through her husband's mind. "I'll stay here, you never know he may come back."

Baxter turned to Tom, "I don't have a car...can I borrow yours? I'll drop you at the office first," he promised.

Tom smiled and nodded, "sure."

Walking to the door he opened it and turned to his sister, "We'll find him," Tom promised.

"She really cares about the boy doesn't she?" Tom asked as they walked down the sidewalk to the car.

Baxter nodded too full of emotion and guilt to speak.

"He really isn't worth all this effort, he stole your car Bax. You let him back in and he might slit your throat in your sleep, you have no idea what sort of people he came from." Tom said as he climbed in the car and shut the door.

For a second a dark look crossed Baxter's face and he climbed in the drivers side and slammed his door shut, neither of them seeing the pair of cobalt blue eyes attached to the small boy hiding out under the hedge at the end of the driveway.


	8. Chapter 8

Callen walked for a mile, running at some points just trying to get distance between himself and the car.

He was tired, sore, dirty and hungry.

He got as far as he could along the beach before exhaustion ment he had to sit.

Carefully he sat down and pulled his knees to his chest, burying his face into his knees he cried.

It wasn't fair!

He watched a family who were on a day trip, the mother fussing over the two children a boy about his age and a girl about eleven years old.

The mother watched as the father took the children into the ocean, laughing as they giggled with the water hitting their toes.

The boy ran back towards his mother and fell over, Callen watched tensing as he waited for her to yell at the boy for being so clumsy.

His eyes widened in surprise as she got up, ran over and hugged him, looking carefully to see if he was hurt and kissing his head until he stopped crying.

She pulled a bottle of water out of the cooler and handed it to him and laughed as he took a drink and ran back to the water with his father who picked him up and spun him happily in the air.

He brought the children back for breakfast and they sat happily together.

The mother looked across and saw Callen sitting watching them and with a frown she nudged her husband and said something to him.

The man got up and started walking towards him, in an instant Callen stood up and shot across the beach and back towards the highway, the last thing he wanted was to be hit by the man for looking at the family.

Shaking his head sadly the man turned and walked back to his family, worrying about the small boy he stood up and walked over to a payphone and made a call.

* * *

The small woman woke up, she had had a full night, but she knew if someone called her it must be important.

She listened to the caller and her brow furrowed in concern.

Someone had messed up if her boy was in that much trouble the CPS had slipped up in their handling of him.

She got on the phone to his social worker. If he had run away again then he needed moving to a safer placement.

* * *

Callen ran still his lungs hurt, he coughed a few times and sat, reaching for his bag he stopped, his eyes widening in horror when he realized that he didn't have it.

He had left it behind with Gloria when he left the hospital.

He had to go back, there was no choice in the matter. Turning in the direction of the Worthington house and making himself as inconspicuous as possible he headed back towards the house. Hopefully he could sneak back in, grab his bag and run before anyone noticed.

The door opened and he scrambled under the hedge near the sidewalk as Baxter and Tom came out.

"He really isn't worth all this effort, he stole your car, Bax. You let him back in and he might slit your throat in your sleep, you have no idea what sort of people he came from." Tom said as he climbed in the car and shut the door.

For a second, a dark look crossed Baxter's face and he climbed in the drivers side and slammed his door shut.

Callen gulped pushing down the lump in his throat and the tears that threatened to spill.

They blamed him….he  _knew it!_

He couldn't stay there anymore, there was not going to be a happy ending for him. Not like that family on the beach.

He waited until the car pulled away then snuck around the rear of the house, not seeing the second car that had pulled up in the space left by the first.

* * *

The woman nodded as she saw him inch around the back of the house and sighed with relief, he was safe.

She saw the familiar car of his social worker pull up and get out and walk towards her.

The social worker stiffened, she had heard about the woman but had never expected to meet her.

"You're…..?" She started but stopped as the woman held up her hand.

"Yes. Now Miss Holcombe, you have let him down already once. Placing him with the Bakers was sloppy, you did not do a thorough enough background check for my liking." she snapped.

"Your liking? Who…"

"Never mind, if you do not know who I am, just be assured that your director and the Governor know who I am and what I can do." She said despite her size Miss Holcombe could see that she was not a woman to be trifled with.

"Yes Ma'am."

The woman handed Miss Holcombe a file, "This will be Mr. Callen's next placement, I think we can all agree that this was  _not_ a successful placement. I have found a nice family that can take him for a few weeks until you sort out something more suitable, I would suggest some kind of therapy for him as well. The boy has a lot of potential and it would be a pity for it to be wasted. By the way, you might want to hurry inside and stop Mr. Callen before he runs away again, I believe he is breaking into the Worthington's right about now."

She turned and in a move that belied her stature walked away, climbed in her car and drove away in the knowledge that the child she had watched for the past few years would be sleeping in a safe place tonight.

* * *

Callen ducked under the kitchen window, having looked in to see Gloria standing at the kettle waiting for it to boil or the phone to ring, whichever happened first.

She didn't see the pair of cobalt blue eyes that peered over the window ledge and widen at the sight of the only possession he owned sitting on the kitchen table.

Gloria stood up as she heard something and left the room.

Seizing his chance he snuck up to the back door and on hearing muted voices in the other room opened the door and crept into the kitchen.

He couldn't see anyone as he walked in and sighed as he lay his hands on the one thing he could truly call his own. No matter what he was never leaving _that_  behind.

He pulled the bag off the table and froze as a hand clasped on his shoulder.

"Callen!"

His head snapped round and he found himself face to face with his angry social worker.

"You have been worrying everyone sick," she snapped.

"I'll let the police know he's here." Gloria said, glad he was safe and sound.

Callen's heart plummeted into his boots, even she blamed him. Gloria...the woman he had liked.

Fine, he didn't care, why should he? He wasn't what they wanted; he was broken, used and dirty. They probably wanted a perfect child, maybe that was why they took him to the hospital, to see if he was defective.

He was.

Taking a step back from them he looked at his social worker angrily, she shouldn't have left him here, she shouldn't have let him hope.

"So, we leaving then?" He snapped.

"Yes Callen, you have another placement pending for you, I need to sort out this mess. You sit there and ' _ **Don't move'**_!" she ordered.

Callen dropped to the floor with his legs crossed.

"Fine," he snapped and kept his eyes fixed firmly on the floor.

* * *

Gloria looked shocked, in the two days Callen had been there she hadn't heard him speak and to hear him speak now, with such venom shocked her.

She turned away with tears in her eyes and walked to the front door and stood outside waiting for her brother and husband to return.

Miss Holcombe, having again reiterated to Callen not to move a muscle, followed her outside and put a hand on her shoulder.

"It's not your fault, Callen is...a unique child, he is quite a handful this isn't the first placement to have had problems with him." She said trying to comfort the woman.

"We wanted him to stay, Baxter wanted him to stay so badly," Gloria said.

"Some children are just not cut out to be in a family environment, for Callen the concept is just too foreign for him to accept. I honestly don't think he will fit in anywhere," Miss Holcombe said.

Callen standing behind the door wiped a tear from his eyes, he was right, he was broken and not a good fit for any family.

He moved back to the spot he had been ordered to sit in.

He had thought about sneaking out the back door, but the black and white that had just pulled up outside the front of the house changed his mind.

The last thing he needed was to be arrested, last time he was in school some bigger kids had been talking about people in jail being executed. He didn't want to get arrested and die.

* * *

Baxter came running up the path as he and Tom pulled up behind the black and white.

"Is he here? Have you found him?"Baxter called, he pulled up, short a look of horror on his face as his wife cried on the doorstep.

"He's...he's not dead is he?" He asked the fear evident in his voice.

"Callen?!" Miss Holcombe laughed, "You couldn't kill him if you tried and honestly...people have." She stopped at the look on Baxters face. "Mr Worthington, please...don't blame yourself, you couldn't have done anything. I have a new placement for him, as soon as he's given a statement to the police we'll be moving him."

Baxter looked horrified, "But...we want to adopt him?" he said.

Miss Holcombe was surprised, but she wanted to give Callen every chance.

* * *

They went in the house and Callen was sat cross legged where he had been told to stay and was staring angrily at the floor.

"Callen." Miss Holcombe said, "Mr and Mrs Worthington would like to talk to you."

He looked away, he couldn't bear to see the disappointment in their eyes.

"Callen we want to tell you…" Baxter started.

Callen jumped up and grabbed his bag, "I don't care what you want. I want out of here  _ **NOW!**_ "

Baxter went to put his hand on Callen's shoulder as Callen ran out into the street.

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME! DO YOUR NEIGHBOURS KNOW ABOUT YOU! YOU SHOULDN'T BE NEAR KIDS EVER!" He shouted at the top of his lungs.

Baxter looked horrified, his son was blaming him?

Callen ran to the social workers car and holding his bag like a shield stood in front of it.

"Callen, you know it's not like that I didn't want…"

"I know...I know and I don't care, you don't want me and I don't want you...you couldn't just leave it, you couldn't let me be...I HATE YOU!" he screamed and turned away as the tears he couldn't hold inside anymore, fell.

He didn't see the look of sorrow on Baxters face, or the look of worry that followed it as a few of his neighbours took their children inside.

Not only had he lost his son, but he would have to move too, there was no way he could stay here now.

There was a posting in Washington D.C he had been thinking about, he hadn't wanted it but he couldn't stay here, he couldn't hurt his son like that. It was time to move on with his life.

Without another word he turned and walked into the house.

For a moment Callen expected, hoped that Baxter would try, just once more to prove he cared.

He turned, and felt...disappointed, maybe relieved that he wasn't there.

He tried the door handle of the car and with an angry, pointed look at the police officer watching him he climbed inside and slammed the door shut.

Miss Holcombe looked sadly at her charge, the other woman had been right, this was not the place for Callen right now. She looked at the devastation on Baxter's face.

"I am so sorry," she told him honestly. "He doesn't mean it I'm sure, he's just...Callen."

Baxter nodded, "I am sorry this placement didn't suit his needs." He told her, "You should know, at his last placement...he was assaulted."

She nodded, "I know, we've got a warrant out for the arrest of his last foster parents, things are already in hand."

"That is good to know, if you contact Tom here, he's a Federal Agent for NIS, he took some evidence."

"My lab is running it as we speak, we should get the results in a week or two." Tom told her handing over his card.

"Thank you so much…" she looked over at the sullen little boy sitting in the car, his head turned away from the small group of adults. "Again I am sorry, I had hoped...well…" she let the rest of the sentence trail off, maybe the next placement would be the boy's last.

She smiled weakly and walked away, never before and never again would she see a set of foster parents look so distraught at losing their charge.

* * *

As they drove off, Baxter held Gloria as she cried.

"There will be other kids, Gloria, you're young...maybe you'll have some of your own."

Gloria looked up at him, "We will, Tom, I'm pregnant, but we wanted him."

Baxter heart leaped at the news he would be a father again, but not here...no child of his would live in this house if his son wouldn't live here. He couldn't even walk into that room again, to see the bright happy colors and know that his son would never see it.

No...they would all move and start a new life.

Away from the memories and away from that room.

They followed Baxter inside as he walked in and looked for one last time at the bed his son had slept in, he had been so close.

He closed the door with a slam.

"Baxter?" Gloria asked as she looked at the scowl on his face.

" _ **I hate Yellow**_." He replied and walked into his room, closed the door and cried.


End file.
